When I ate eggs, I didn't eat the yokes because I didn't like the way they tasted.
I am in no way surprised that a simple question posted in an open forum could go the way this one went. Having one's consciousness raised is often distasteful, perhaps offensive but isn't it wonderful to get to see and feel someone else's perspective?
If you will, follow my bumper car of thought: I am going to hop up on my soapbox for a moment and say I definitely have qualms about consuming food at the cost of another being's life and, although I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian because I eat seafood and cheese, sweeten with honey, I would like to share that I have a way of choosing the animal products I feed my family, which is composed of both carnivores and vegetarians. My way may be different from the way you choose yours. I make certain that the poultry I buy is cage free because of the practice of debeaking which is used in conventioanlly raised poultry. If you are interested in learning more about that, Google it. I do not buy products treated with hormones and antibiotics because that might upset the delicate hormonal balances of my children or cause antibiotics to be less effective should they need them for some illness. I use only grass fed beef because cows are ruminants and they do not eat corn and feeding them corn fattens them up but it is not right for their digestive systems so corn fed beef is off our menu. I see to it that the cattle were free range because I prefer they eat cows that were well treated and happy in life and the practices of conventional factory farming do not conform with my idea of producing food which is healthy for my family and as cruelty free as is possible for the animals. My vegan neice educated me about conventionally produced milk and I was so grossed out I went organic because of it. Until that time, I ate as I did as a child, meat and potatoes, meals centered around that protein source. We drank whole milk as kids but as I got into fitness, that changed to skim and somewhere along the way, my awareness shifted and I started to think about the lives of the animals we consume and at this point, it is central to all my choices, both for the health of my family and the welfare of the creatures which give us sustanance.
I think of vegans as vegetarians by principle and that is a beautiful thing to my mind.
I also like organics because pesticides, which were developed for warfare and discovered to have a use keeping pests off crops, might have an ill effect on the health of my family and the health of the planet. Last night I made pasta and cooked scallops, vegetarain meatballs and meatball meatballs. It's sort of a pain at times, but it's the compromise we have learned to live with. Live simply that others might simply live and be in touch with how our consumption affects not just us, but everyone and everything.
If anyone dismisses Kathryn because she has rattled their cage, they are losing a tremendous source of nutritional information and I would gently suggest that they pay attention because someone who has such courage of conviction can teach you many things, some of which you may embrace and some of which you may not. We are the creature with the higher consciousness and as we chose how we live our lives, we become aware of how our actions affect the lives of other people and other beings. Something as simple as looking for an egg carton marked cage free a a shampoo bottle stamped cruelty free can decrease the suffering in the world. For me that is very important and if I can convince one person of that, as I was once convinced, I am delighted to do so.
I have this posted on my refridgerator and I love it:
The Five Contemplations
The following verses are often recited before meals. They were written by Thich Nhat Hanh, based on traditional Buddhist teachings.
1. This food is the gift of the whole universe: the earth, the sky and much hard work.
2. May we live in a way that makes us worthy to receive it.
3. May we transform our own unskilled states of mind and learn to eat with moderation.
4. May we take only foods that nourish us and prevent illness.
5. We accept this food so that we may realize the path of understanding and love.
Hopping off my soapbox now.
Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
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